Inconvenient Love
by Pey119
Summary: Human au. Nico's dad is marrying again, and this new "stepbrother" is the closest thing to perfection Nico ever saw. After that first kiss, can they hide their relationship for long? (complete)
1. Chapter 1

"You're...what?" Nico looked up from his cup of coffee to stare at his father. The Saturday morning had suddenly turned tense. "What do you mean?"

His father was sitting in front of him, hands clasped together nervously. Hades di Angelo. People asked if he lived up to his namesake, but Nico thought he was a pretty good guy most of the time. But the dark eyes and hair didn't help the image others had of him. "I want to propose to her. You know I've been seeing her for a while-"

"Hazel's mom just died." Nico cut in. It seemed that Hades' taste in women was the only thing Nico hated about him. First, it was his own mother, then Persephone, then Hazel's mother, and now this new woman. How many could a guy go through? "And you're already looking to marry again. This will be your fourth marriage. That's insane, dad."

"It's been almost a year." Hades defended. "And you know how much I like Sage-"

"That doesn't mean you have to marry her already!" Nico gestured around him at the large kitchen. "You'll be bringing her into this house."

"It's my house and my life." Hades stood up. "And I love her and you're going to respect her. Now, come with me."

Nico scowled. "Why?"

"I need help picking out a ring. You're gay, you can help."

Nico frowned at what his father would call logic. "That's not very accurate or polite, you know."

"Nico...please."

"Fine, fine." Nico stood up and grabbed his phone from the table. "But we're stopping for coffee."

Hades nodded in agreement before walking into the living room. "Hazel, are you coming?"

Nico followed quickly. "Wait, she already knows?"

Hazel looked up from the couch where she had been drawing, colored pencils scattered around her. "Why wouldn't I know?" She was a year or two younger than Nico, with curly hair and dark skin. She didn't look like the rest of the family but fit in well enough.

Nico shrugged helplessly. "Are you coming?" He gave her a pleading look. "Please?"

Hazel nodded. "We have to make sure he does it right this time."

Nico sighed in relief, thankful he didn't have to be alone with his father for the rest of the day. "Let's get going."

* * *

It took all day for them to all agree on a ring. Afterward, Hades dropped them off at home before going to take Sage out to dinner. As Nico unlocked the front door, his car drove away.

"Do you think she'll like it?" Hazel asked as she followed him inside. "I mean, he spent a lot of money on it. The diamond should be big enough."

"The money is probably the whole reason she's with him. Remember Persephone?" Nico grabbed his own keys. "I'm heading out. Will you be okay here alone? I can wait until Frank gets here to leave."

"I'll be fine." she suddenly looked worried. "Be safe, okay? I don't want to have to come pry you off of some random guy's lawn."

"It was one time, Hazel." Nico kissed her cheek. "Bye, don't wait up." He left without another word but remembered why he hadn't promised her request. At four in the morning, she and Frank came to get him. They found him at some random party, the wine bottle against his dry lips.

"Nico, come on." Hazel kept him close as she helped him to the car. Every night seemed to be the same. In the mornings he never remembered.

Once she got him in the car, Frank drove him home. The ride was silent save for Nico's hiccups, his head in Hazel's lap as he eyes opened and closed. Once they got home, Frank helped her get him up the tall stairs and into his bedroom, the dark walls seeming to calm her older brother more than she ever could. Once he was in bed, he passed out in seconds.

"Thank you for helping me get him." Hazel hugged Frank, looking down at Nico as he slept. "And thank Leo for calling us about him..."

"I will," Frank promised. "Are you okay?"

Hazel nodded. "Just worried. He's getting worse and worse."

"Did you ever figure out what's causing him to do it?" Frank asked.

Hazel shook her head. "Not even a little..." She caught sight of Nico's clock. "It's getting late. You should get home before your parents realize you're gone."

Frank nodded in agreement but didn't let her go. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm going to get him in pajamas and then get to bed." Hazel broke the hug. "I'll see you Monday at school."

He nodded. "Goodnight, Hazel."

"Goodnight, Frank."

He left the room, leaving her alone with her brother. Like most nights, she changed him and got him comfortable before getting to her own room to sleep. His drinking had gotten worse this past month, worse than it had been the rest of the year. Yet no one could ever pinpoint why.

But her world was getting a little too complicated to think about it long. Her father was marrying again, bringing a new stepmother and stepbrother into the house. And Nico had been right about one thing. That women was probably with him for his money, which wouldn't end good. It hadn't the last time.

Persephone. Nico had told her all about it. Before marrying her own mother, Hades had married a woman with an ancient name to match his own. Almost immediately, most of his money had been going to her. New dressed, diamond jewelry, nights out at the most expensive of restaurants. He only saw through her when he found out that she was stealing even more from him.

From what Nico had said, it had crushed him pretty bad to break up with her. But Hazel didn't believe that much. It had only taken him a couple of weeks to get with her own mother, then only a couple months later for them to get engaged. Maybe Hades just needed a woman in his life. Maybe he was trying to get a mother for Nico. But almost like he was cursed to live alone, they never stayed long.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a week before Hades came to his children at dinner, his eyes lit up with one of his many loves. "Tomorrow's Saturday. Do you know what that means?"

"Party time?" Nico guessed.

Hazel elbowed him in the stomach. "Be serious."

"I am," Nico retorted. "It's gonna be Saturday night."

"Nico, no going out tomorrow." Hades started to pace nervously. "Naomi and Will are moving in tomorrow. We'll start helping them at eight, so we have to get up early."

Nico looked between his father and stepsister. "Who's Will?"

Hades stopped pacing. "Nico..."

"She's got a son, doesn't she?" Nico started to bounce his knee. "Why are you hiding that from me?"

"He's worried you're going to either hate him or make a pass at him," Hazel admitted.

Nico looked at his father. "Really? You can't trust me?"

"Trust you?" Hades' face turned dark. "You get drunk every night and you're asking me if I trust you? It would be one thing if you were of age, but you're four years under!"

Hazel's eyes moved downcast nervously.

"Maybe if you trusted me, I wouldn't have to get drunk every night." Nico stood up in a fit. "Maybe if you acted like a father, or stuck with one woman long enough for your friends to know her name."

Anger turned Hades' face purple. "Get to your room, Nico. I don't want to see you today."

Nico looked down at Hazel before leaving the room, going up to his bedroom as his father said. There were some things you just didn't disobey. And with Hades as a father...these things were magnified.

He shut and locked his bedroom door as soon as he was in, the old wood creaking at his request. The house was too old, nothing ever worked, the floorboards wanted to give up almost as much as he did. But he had lived in the house ever since he could remember. His father had bought it for his mother, and if she loved it, so would he.

But the hallways never ended. Some rooms hadn't been seen in years. In the back wing, some maids lived but he wasn't sure if they were real. The house could be called a haunted mansion but was his definition of home.

Nico's bedroom itself was dark. The walls were painted black, the windows were covered. The only source of color were the ducks his mother had painted around the room. He had left those as yellow as the day she had made them.

But they didn't help much. As the night went on, nothing did. And in the morning, all he could do was lay in bed and stare at the ceiling as he heard the noises of the day start.

"Nico?" Hazel knocked on the door. "It's breakfast time...Naomi and Will are here, too. We're going to help them move their stuff after we eat."

Nico sat up, wincing at his aching back. "Do I have to?"

"Dad wants you to meet them, Nico."

"Fine, fine. I'll be down in a minute." Nico dragged himself off the bed and slipped his jacket on. He had never changed out of his clothes. In his pocket, his phone rested just as dead as he felt.

He first heard them when he got to the top of the steps. Laughter. Innocence. Something the house hadn't seen much of in some time. He went to the kitchen, his eyes landing on the two new arrivals. The boy his age took his breath away.

Will, they said his name was. He wasn't sure his last. Fit, tan, blue eyes, and blond hair. His smile was contagious. He sat by his mother and ate the food Hazel had made, neat and clean even though he wasn't trying. Nico didn't realize he was smiling until he felt the pain in his face.

"Nico," Hades rose to his feet. "This is Naomi and Will. Naomi, this is my son, Nico. He's seventeen like Will."

"It's nice to meet you." Naomi walked over to Nico and shook his hand. He kept his limp in distaste.

"Yeah, okay." Nico's eyes met Will's. "And you're Will?"

Will's cheeks had turned a faint pink. "Yeah...we're going to be going to the same school. I'm transferring over to yours."

Nico's lips twitched. "Okay..."

"Let's finish eating." Hades lead Naomi back to the table after her awkward encounter with his son. "The sooner we're done, the sooner you two can move in here for good."

Nico walked over to the coffeepot and poured himself a cup. "How much stuff do they have to move?"

"We were living in a small apartment," Naomi answered. "Not much stuff but a decent amount. We won't need to take our beds and things like that."

"Right..." Nico dumped sugar into his coffee. "So it's going to take all day."

"Nico..." Hades warned.

"It's okay," Naomi whispered to her fiance, leaving the others out of the conversation. But both looked pretty happy.

It was silent amongst the others until Will spoke up, his eyes not having left Nico. "Nico, aren't you going to eat?"

Those who knew Nico froze, waiting for the reaction they knew all too well. But Nico didn't explode like he usually did.

"I don't usually," he said simply. "It's too early. It'll make me sick."

"Then you won't eat much, but you should eat something." Will stood up and walked over to Nico with his plate. "Here, have a slice of bacon at least-"

Nico slapped the plate out of the boy's hand after seeing the way Naomi had snuggled up against Hades. Once there was a root to his anger, it would lash out against anything—a fact his family knew all too well.

"Nico!" his father yelled after him as he left the room, but Nico didn't bother turning back. The anger was still there and boiling. He didn't want to use it against anyone else.

"Nico, I know you get angry." Bianca's voice seemed to echo around him as he stomped up to his room. Walls could talk to those who remembered. "You need to control it. And if you can't do that, you need to take it somewhere where it can't hurt anyone else."

Where it can't hurt anyone else... He slammed the door, picked up his phone and threw it at the wall. If he couldn't hurt people, he'd hurt things. It was the only way to get the anger gone. That or alcohol, and there was no alcohol in reach.

So he grabbed his lamp, threw that. Threw his picture frames and bookbag. Smashed the glass shards. Punched his fist through the wall.

When his energy was gone along with the anger, he sank to the ground with an ache in his knuckles. "I'm sorry, Bianca. I'm sorry."


	3. Chapter 3

Nico stayed in his room for the rest of his Saturday, not even bothering to go out to a party. He opened one window, felt the cold breeze, sat by it and stared at the dark walls.

It was midnight when there was a knock at his door, a soft knock he hadn't heard before. "Can I come in?" Will.

Nico thought for a minute before sighing. "Yeah, fine."

Will slipped into the room and closed the door behind him, blinking at the sudden darkness. "Haven't you ever heard of a light?"

"Diss my room one more time and you're gone," Nico warned.

"Right, sorry." Will slowly inched his way across the room. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Nico waited until Will had slammed his shin against the bed with a string of curses to turn a light on, unable to hide his smirk. "Hurts?"

Will looked up at the sudden light, his blue eyes catching it perfectly. "You did that on purpose."

"So what if I did?"

Will couldn't help but grin as he finished the walk toward Nico. "That probably left a bruise, you know."

Nico watched the newest member of their "family" sit beside him. "Yeah, so?"

Will shook his head. "Nothing." His grin disappeared. "I...I came to apologize. I know it must be hard with us moving in...it's a big change... It's hard being the one to move, too."

"Where'd you move from?" Nico asked. "How far away?"

Will reluctantly told the street and address before looking into Nico's eyes. "As mom said...it was an apartment. A pretty small one, too. But I had my own room and the window was huge. A lot of sunlight came in."

"You like the sun." Nico summed up.

Will nodded. "You don't?"

Nico gestured around at the dark room. "Take your bet."

Will grinned again. "Fine, fine, Mr. Darkness, I get it. But you won't stop me from liking the sun." He leaned back, keeping his hands between the wall and the back of his head. "Now, are you going to let me apologize?"

"I accept it." Nico started to pick his nails, them starting to bleed almost immediately. "I mean, I'm the one that hit that plate out of your hand."

"Cause I'm the one that wanted to force you to eat as our first meeting." Will took Nico's hands in his own. "Don't do that, you're bleeding."

Nico's cheeks turned pink. "W...What?"

"You're picking your nails, or what's left of them." Will wiped some of the blood off. "Don't do that." He frowned. "Your hands are freezing. That's what you get for having your window open. Close that and let's warm you up."

Nico had trouble coming up with his usual remarks as he watched Will close the window. "Um..." His cheeks burned.

"What?" Will grabbed the heavy blanket off Nico's bed and draped it over its owner's shoulders. "Gonna lie and say you're not cold?"

Nico let his shoulders relax under the blanket's weight. "You're insane..."

"For wanting you to be healthy?" Will sat by him again.

"For being obsessed with my health," Nico corrected. "We've only met once and I was an ass during it."

Will scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, I forgive easily."

Nico looked him over, unable to stop himself from realizing the crush he had. He couldn't look away.

"Why were you sitting in the cold?" Will asked. "Your lips are blue."

Nico scowled. "No, they are not."

"Yes, they are," Will retorted. "You can't tell cause you're not used to them being warm."

"They're lips, it's not like I can put a blanket over them." Nico wrapped the blanket tighter around his shoulders. "You got any bright ideas to help the problem you pointed out? Or are you-"

Will's lips met Nico's, silencing the boy's rant. One simple kiss. It really did warm Nico up.

But as soon as they broke it they realized it wasn't a simple kiss. Nico's cheeks were flaming red, and Will sat there was a smile brighter than any Nico had seen before.

"I..." Nico grabbed Will's face and pulled him close, kissing him again. He had never had a boyfriend before but had had many crushes. And this was the first time any of them were fulfilled.

And Will's lips were soft, and his touch warmed Nico up, and no thoughts could race through his mind with Will that close. It was the closest to Heaven Nico had ever experienced.

But nothing went on forever. Not even the good. It wasn't long until Will pulled away, his smile having disappeared with the good news. "Nico...our parents are getting married."

Right, legality. Depression. Nico remembered that life wasn't good.

"The law's always in the way." Nico stood up and stalked away from Will. "First they block marriage cause it's two guys. Now we're illegal cause our parents are getting married. We're gonna be legal brothers, Will."

"Stepbrothers," Will corrected. "Just calm down...we'll figure it out. It's not like we're planning to get married."

"Oh, sure, like a perfect boy like you isn't planning to get married." Nico sat on his bed with a sigh. "You shouldn't have kissed me."

"But you liked it." Will sat beside him. "We both did. And then _you_ kissed _me_."

"I was living in the moment," Nico hissed.

"I was, too, but I don't regret it." Will put a hand on Nico's arm. "I like you, Nico. And I think you like me, too. So just...calm down and let's talk."

Nico glanced at him. "Talk about what? It's not like there's any way out of this."

"What do you mean?"

"We kissed. There's no going back. I'll always think of you that way, now." Nico explained. "And you're...yeah, I like you. A lot. There's no erasing that. And there's no changing that we're gonna be step-brothers. So there's nothing we can do then just...hide it."

"Hide it?" Will scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, I guess it could work...it'd be really hard, though."

"I know." Nico could already imagine how hard it would be. Seeing Will do something cute, trying to hold back from blushing or kissing him or turning away..."I could act like I hate you. They'd believe it. Then they'd never suspect what's really going on."

"You could act like you hate me?" Will asked.

Nico shrugged. "I hate a lot of people."

"And that's believable." Will smiled. "Okay, fine, fine. We'll try your idea. But if they find out...what will we do?"

Nico shrugged. "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it."

Will blinked. "Did you just mix two-?"

Nico kissed him in response.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Nico came down to get his usual coffee to find them all at breakfast again. He met Will's eyes for a second too long before looking away, remembering how they had to act.

"Nico," Hades gestured his son over. "Come sit."

"I'm just getting coffee." Nico declined.

"Nico..." Hades stood up and put a hand on Nico's shoulder. "Come sit down and apologize to Naomi and her son."

"And why would I do that?" Nico asked. He refused to look at Will as the lies started. "I don't like either of them and I thought I made that perfectly clear. Now I've got to show him around my school and have to deal with all his questions all day. School is my nap time, you know."

"Hades." Naomi stood up before he could say anything else. "Can I talk to him? I feel like we should just talk, by ourselves."

Nico scowled. "I don't want to talk to you-"

"Nico, go talk to her." Hades gave him his coffee before moving him to a side sitting room. "And be nice. You don't want me taking away your keys."

Nico rolled his eyes. "I just woke up and you're throwing me into a conversation I don't want to have. Perfect."

"You shouldn't have just woken up then." Hades walked out of the room once he got his son in it, leaving Nico alone with Will's mother.

"I feel like we got off on the wrong foot..." her fake smile made Nico want to throw up. "I know you're not fond of people moving in here. Your father told me about how you treated Persephone and Hazel's mother..."

"Did he tell you why?" Nico asked. "Did he tell you why he broke up with Persephone?"

She shook her head. "Well, no..."

"She was stealing from him," Nico explained. "Stealing and lying and cheating. He never believed me. But then he found out for himself. She was using him for his money and I'm pretty sure you're doing the same. So forgive me if I don't really like you."

Naomi blinked in surprise. "She...was stealing from him?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah."

"No wonder you don't trust me." Naomi looked into his eyes. "Look, I'm not stealing from him. I can promise you that."

Though she looked truthful, Nico still didn't trust her. "Fine, whatever."

She sighed. "We just need to act like we get along. For your father's sake."

Nico rolled his eyes. "I doubt you're doing anything for his sake, but okay. Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving. I won't be bothered by all the idiots in this house."

He walked off without another word, going upstairs to grab his keys before leaving the house. Being at home was going to be miserable from now on, that much was certain, but there was always a certain blond that could make that better. In private, though. Always in private.

Nico got in his car and tore off down the road, the windows down and the wind blowing through his hair. He needed a distraction. He needed someone to talk to. So he headed to Percy's.

Percy Jackson could be an idiot, but Nico trusted him more than anyone else. They had known each other since they were children. When Nico was just five, he met Percy at a park that Ms. Jackson used to take her son to.

_"It's Percy's first time here." Sally kneeled beside her son and the small Italian boy. "Can he play with you?"_

_Nico's eyes got large at the request. He looked over at Bianca, who was hanging from the monkey bars. "Yeah!"_

_"I'm Percy." Percy grabbed Nico's hand and pulled them away from his mother. "How old are you?"_

_Nico held up three fingers. "Five."_

_"I'm six," Percy said proudly. "My stepdad just died. We got to come and play."_

_"You play when you're sad?" Nico asked._

_Percy shook his head. "I'm happy." His newly discovered ADHD kicked in. "Hey, is that your sister?"_

_Nico looked at where Percy was pointed, his eyes widening again. "How could you tell?!"_

_Percy grinned. "My water magic."_

Ever since then they had met up each weekend. But one weekend Nico didn't show up, instead sitting in a hospital as the doctors told him. Told him that Bianca had met the same early fate as his mother.

After he had seen her and said goodbye to a cold, bloody corpse, Nico was walked out into the waiting room to find Sally and Percy waiting. Beside them, her new husband held Percy's hand.

That's when the dam behind his eyes broke, and he ran with tears into Sally's arms. He stayed the night with them, stayed the week, stayed a month until Hades was stable enough to bring him home. But Bianca had been his favorite kid, they all knew it, and nobody was ever the same.

But it had strengthened his relationship with Percy and the two became like brothers. But a year went by and Nico couldn't remember what Bianca looked like without a picture. And then some more went by. In seventh grade, he found an older boy drinking at the old park. He joined him and didn't remember the rest of the night, but he had woken up the next morning, naked and sore beneath the cold slide. Seventh grade...Sally sobbed when she found out. The police never found out who had done it. But just like that, whatever was left of Nico's innocence disappeared right before their eyes.

But Percy stayed. And that was when Nico's trust for him completely skyrocketed and sealed. And right now, driving with anger and tears and shit in his eyes, Nico headed for the one friend he could truly call a friend. The one friend he could tell about Will.


	5. Chapter 5

"Nico!" Sally opened the door and threw her arms around Nico. "How are you doing?"

Nico accepted the hug from Sally, one of two people he would ever allow to hug him. "I'm doing okay. Is Percy around?"

"He's in his room." she let him go and ushered him in before closing the door. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm okay." Nico insisted.

"Have you eaten today?"

Nico sighed. "Well, no..."

"I'll make a snack." she decided. "Percy's in his room."

Nico knew he'd never win a fight about food in this house. "Thanks, Sally."

"It's no problem." she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving him to head to Percy's room. He knew his way around by now.

"Percy?" Nico knocked on the bedroom door before coming in. The blue bedroom was the definition of nostalgia. That old bed, the smell, the mess. Percy was on his bed, laptop out and music playing. "Can I come in?"

"Neeks!" Percy paused the music and gestured him in. "What's up? You haven't visited in weeks."

Nico sat beside him and leaned back against the wall. "Life's full of shit."

"Yeah, but what's new?" Percy asked.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Dad's remarrying to this lady who's probably with him for his money. And she's got a son my age."

"Is he cute?" Percy asked.

Nico groaned as he felt himself blush. "Shut up, Percy."

"I was right," Percy grinned. "So you like him? Is he gay?"

Nico reluctantly nodded. "And that's one of the big problems."

"_How_ is that a problem?"

"He's going to be my brother in law," Nico explained. "Legally. And our parents are already calling us brothers. So what are we supposed to do?"

"Oh," Percy blinked. "I get it, now."

Nico rolled his eyes again. It always became a common occurrence when he was with Percy. "Took you long enough."

"Okay, okay." Percy closed his laptop and sent it aside. "Have you actually talked to him about this, though? And what's his name?"

"Will Solace." Nico ran a hand through his hair. "And yes...we've talked about it..."

"So he knows you like him."

"Well, I'm hoping the kiss gave that away."

Percy's eyes widened. "You didn't tell me you kissed him."

Nico grinned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I didn't?"

"Nico. Full story. Now."

* * *

Nico picked at the food Sally had provided them. "Why does your mom always make healthy stuff?"

Percy shrugged. "I thought you'd be used to it by now."

"I am, I am." Nico looked around the bedroom. "You never change this place, do you?"

Percy ignored the question and finished his plate before setting it on his desk. "So what are you going to do?"

"About Will?"

He nodded.

"I'm not sure yet." Nico glanced away. "I...What could I do? Honestly?"

"Tell your dad." Percy shrugged. "I mean...how bad could that get?"

"Bad. Very bad." Nico admitted. "He's changing, Percy. He's not the same guy you once met. He's sick of women leaving him or dying. And he doesn't trust me anymore."

"How do you know he doesn't trust you?" Percy asked.

"He told me flat out." Nico laid on the bed and spread out. "So we have to keep it hidden, right? I already told Will we did and he accepted that."

"But he would rather be public, wouldn't he?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah."

Percy ran a hand through his hair before sighing. "Your life is always so complicated, Nico."

"Trust me, I know."

"Well, maybe you can tell your friends." Percy shrugged. "I'm fine with it. Annabeth probably will be, too. And you can tell Hazel and-"

"I'm not telling Hazel." Nico shook his head. "No way. Never."

"Why not?"

"She's a horrible liar," Nico said. "You know that. What if dad asks her something and she spills it? Not to mention the stress it'll put her under."

Percy held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, then we won't tell Hazel. But your friends are here for you."

Nico nodded in acceptance. "Thanks, Percy... Do you want to meet him?"

"Yeah, I'm meeting him." Percy got up to get his phone and wallet. "Come on, we can go to Cinco's. Leo's working today."

Nico sat up. "I don't know if Will likes Mexican food."

"Invite him anyway."


	6. Chapter 6

Nico kicked his feet up onto the dashboard as he dialed Will's number, thankful he had gotten it the night before. The last thing he wanted was to go on a manhunt for him.

"Hello?!" Will answered the phone with a near scream, causing Nico to pull away in pain.

"Tone it down a bit," Nico instructed, putting it back to his ear. "Are you dressed and stuff?"

"It's after noon, of course I'm dressed-"

"Okay, sunshine, not all of us are morning people," Nico cut in. "Just be ready. Percy and I are coming to pick you up to go eat."

"Percy?" Will asked. "Is he your friend?"

"Yeah, we're on our way. Percy's driving." Nico stuck his hand out the window. "I'm hanging up, now."

"Then hang up," Will teased. "What, don't want to stop hearing my voice?"

"Be out front and ready, Solace." Nico hung up as a blush spread over his cheeks. "Shut up, Percy."

Percy didn't stop his chuckling. "This is going to be great."

"And why's that?"

Percy shrugged. "You two go good together. Too bad his mom sucks."

Nico nodded in agreement. "Don't embarrass me, Percy."

"I definitely can't promise that." Percy drove down the familiar roads leading to Nico's house, the old truck bouncing over the potholes. "And Leo won't be able to, either."

Nico put his head in his hands. "Great."

"You'll be fine." Percy pulled in front of Nico's house, eyeing Will as he walked up to the truck. "Move into the middle, Nico."

Nico grumbled but did as he was told, Will climbing into the truck beside him. The two boys stared at each other for a minute before Will pulled the door closed, Percy taking off almost immediately. "So...what's going on?"

"Will, this is Percy Jackson," Nico introduced. "He's a childhood friend. We're going to eat. He wanted to meet you."

"So you...told him about..._us_?" Will asked.

Nico nodded. "Yep."

"Nico doesn't keep secrets from me," Percy inputted. "It's nice to meet you."

"You, too." Will looked out the window as they drove. "I had to lie to mom about where I was going."

"She questions you every time you leave the house?" Nico asked. "How am I not surprised?"

"You don't know the half of it yet." Will moved uncomfortably. "She likes to rule me, you know? It's not even just being overprotective anymore. I don't think it ever was, actually. She just thinks that since I'm hers, I'm _literally hers_. She rules me, in her mind."

Percy shook his head in exasperation. "Sounds like hell."

"It is," Will agreed. He looked to Nico. "You're quiet."

"I'm aggravated." Nico corrected. "We have to deal with your devil of a mother and my satanic father. The first time I ever have a boyfriend and I can't even be with him."

Will glanced at Percy before kissing Nico's cheek, causing the smaller boy to blush. "Yeah, but we're still together. That's something, right?"

Nico wiped away any residue Will left on his cheek. "I guess, you idiot."

"Okay, no more of that in my truck." Percy looked back to the road after glancing at them. "And Will, you should know Nico isn't big on that stuff in front of other people, even if we aren't really in public."

"I can talk to him myself, Percy," Nico grumbled.

"I was just saying," Percy defended. "You two don't know each other well. You both know that. You went romantic before you even became friends."

"Is that not allowed?" Nico asked. "Because you're not one to spell out the rules of relationships, Percy. It took you how long to get with Annabeth?"

"That's beside the point, and I'm not trying to dictate your relationship." Percy looked to his phone as it buzzed before looking back to the road. "I was just telling Will here something before he made a mess at the restaurant."

"You two fight like you're brothers," Will commented.

"We might as well be." Percy pulled into the parking lot and parked. "Let's head in and surprise Leo."

"And Leo is...?"

"Our friend." Nico pushed Will out of the truck before getting out himself. "His family owns this place so we'll get a discount."

Percy got out and locked the truck before leading them into the restaurant. Immediately, they saw their friend running between the tables, his hair singed from one of the many fires that always started around him. Accident prone, officials called him. Schools kept him under close watch.

"Smells good," Will commented, keeping close to Nico's side. They stayed back as Percy requested a table. "So...Percy just wants to meet me, right? It isn't gonna be too many questions?"

Nico shrugged. "We'll just have to see. Percy cares about people he knows, and me and him have been really close for a while. He's going to make sure that he trusts you."

"But he seems so...carefree..." Will commented.

"That's just Percy." Nico looked up at Will before looking away. "And he was right. We became boyfriends before we became friends. We have a lot to figure out about each other."

"We'll do it," Will promised.

Nico sighed. "I hope so."


	7. Chapter 7

Sitting at the table was awkward enough without the choice words Leo kept sending their way. Will was as red as a tomato, his blue eyes glued to the table. He sat next to Nico, their arms stuck together as if physically glued. Percy sat across them, playing with his keys as they waited for Leo to take their orders.

"What do I get?" Will whispered, turning to Nico despite his growing embarrassment. "I've never had Mexican food."

"They have burgers." Nico flipped open the menu to find them. "Here, see? Just order it how you like a burger."

"How do you know he likes burgers?" Percy countered. "For all you know, he could be a vegetarian."

Nico went to retort before stopping, glancing sideways at Will. "Are you a vegetarian?"

Will shook his head.

"See, he's not a vegetarian." Nico leaned forward to glare at Percy with a little more energy. "You were wrong."

"That doesn't mean I'm wrong about everything," Percy defended. "Being a vegetarian was an example."

"_You're_ an example!"

"Wha-? That doesn't even make sense!" Percy sat back in frustration. "If you're going to argue, at least do it right."

Suddenly Leo was in front of them, impish grin directed toward the newest member of the friend group. "So, you're Nico's man."

Nico facepalmed. "Valdez..."

"Will Solace," Will shook Leo's hand. "Um...It's nice to meet you."

Leo looked at Percy. "Is this for real? _This_ is Nico's type?"

"Apparently," Percy grinned. "Blond, confused, uptight..."

"The complete opposite of you," Leo noted. "No wonder Nico said-"

"Guys!" Nico clapped his hands together before flipping them both off. "Will's new. He's confused. We met like yesterday so I would appreciate if you didn't scare him away. Now, Leo, Percy and I will take our regulars. Will here wants a burger. Will, tell him what you want on it."

Will stuttered off his order as he tried to process what had happened. When Leo got it down, he winked before speeding away again.

"Um..." Will squirmed uncomfortably but didn't move away from Nico. "Can you explain what that was all about?"

Nico reached over the table and covered Percy's mouth before he could speak. "I'll tell you later."

Percy pulled away from Nico with a grin. "So, get this, Will. Apparently-"

"Percy Jackson, I will end you-"

"Is it about his drinking?" Will asked. "Because his dad already told us that..." He faltered when he saw how serious the other two got. "Um...I'm guessing that's not what it was about?"

Nico's eyes were dark, darker than Will had ever seen them. As he sat back in his seat, they seemed to try to stare a hole into the table. "No, that wasn't what we were fucking talking about, Solace."

Percy gave Will an apologetic look before turning his attention to Nico. "Do you want to step out for a minute?"

"I think I can decide for myself whether or not I need to take a break, Percy." Nico's words were sharp, would have stung Will if he had been who they were aimed at. But Percy didn't seem offended, but more concerned.

After a minute of silence, Nico stood up anyways and left the restaurant. As soon as he was gone, Percy turned to stare at Will. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm...I'm sorry..." Will looked down. "I didn't know he was sensitive about it."

"You don't know anything about him, actually." Percy sat back. "But he's my best friend. He might as well be my brother. And you better start learning if you want me to like you."

"I'm trying," Will promised. "I am. I've never had a boyfriend before and I've never really had friends. I'm not used to talking to anyone, really."

Percy frowned. "You've never had friends?"

Will shook his head.

"Why not?" Percy asked. "Your mother?"

Will nodded. "She kept me in the apartment all day. Studying, doing chores. She homeschooled me as well."

"Okay...then you're definitely not used to talking to people like Nico." Percy stirred his drink with the small straw, poking at the ice cubes. "Don't talk about things like his drinking unless he brings it up. It gets him in a bad mood. Just imagine if it was you. And he has a lot of that shit you don't want to talk about."

"So, drinking...but what else?"

"His mom, Hazel's mom, Bianca," Percy listed. "Anything about his drinking, any bad memories... He just needs to focus on the good stuff, you know? He's had a rough past."

Will nodded as he took the information in. "Is he going to be okay? He hasn't come back in yet."

"Yeah, just talk about something good when he gets back," Percy instructed. "And...what kind of humor do you have?"

"Um...not dark, if that's what you mean," Will answered.

"Okay, good." Percy glanced around before lowering his voice. "Don't make rape jokes. Don't make abuse jokes. Nothing like that. Pedophilia or anything."

Will paled. "Why...?"

"Nico!" Percy stood up when he saw the boy enter the restaurant and waved him over. "Come on, our food should be here soon!"

Will eyed Percy in hopes for some kind of sign, any answer to his question, but none came. Instead, Percy pulled Nico back into their seats.

"What are our plans after we eat?" Percy asked. "My place? Avengers marathon?"

"I've got to get back home," Will admitted. "Mom's gonna be mad enough as it is. If I stay out any longer, it'll be even worse."

"I hate that woman," Nico muttered. "Percy, I'll come over. We can drop Will off."

"Deal." Percy eyed Leo as he finally came from the kitchen with their food. "Ready for the best food of your life, Will?"


	8. Chapter 8

Percy looked over at Nico as they rode home, having dropped Will off at the large house his mother would marry for. His old friend had been silent ever since Will had gotten out of the truck, his dark hair hiding his face from Percy's view.

"Are you okay?" Percy finally asked.

Nico shrugged and turned to look out the window.

Percy sighed. "Just...tell me if you want to talk, okay?" After getting a small nod from Nico in response, Percy turned back to the road to continue the drive home. The clouds were settling in. It was going to storm.

* * *

Monday came soon enough. Nico opened his eyes at the piercing of his alarm, the hangover feeling worse than usual as he forced himself out of bed. If it was his choice, he would be back in bed with the blankets over his head. But it wasn't.

After getting ready, Nico put his hangover sunglasses on before going downstairs. The sun was too bright. Their voices were too loud. Will's eyes shone too hard.

"Nico, I'm trusting you to show Will around," Hades greeted. Nico was going to retort when he noticed his father's choice of words. Trust. What had gotten through to him?

"Does he have his schedule?" Nico asked, starting his coffee. He glanced over and noticed that Will had already made his own.

"Not yet. He'll need to get it from the office. They're expecting him." Hades watched his son closely. The others were silent, watching the exchange with fluttering hearts. Hazel couldn't help but smile at the peace between the two.

"Fine," Nico accepted.

"Uh...should we leave early?" Will asked. "So you're not late to your first class."

"I honestly could care less about being on time." Nico leaned against the counter and sipped from his coffee. "We'll leave when Hazel wants to."

Hazel looked up from her half-eaten plate. "I'll be out there in a second if you two want to head out. Just don't kill each other."

Right. The need to act as if they hated each other. Nico glanced at Will before putting on that fake scowl. "No promises, Haz. William, let's go."

William stood up quickly. "Bye, mom. Bye, Hades."

The two adults waved him goodbye as he followed Nico out of the house. When they were both in Nico's car, Nico planted a quick kiss onto the blond's cheek. "I hate having to act like that."

Will blushed darkly at the sudden display of affection. "Me, too."

Nico wiped his own lips off before grabbing the steering wheel, gripping it tightly. "That was weird, sorry."

"Weird...but a good weird." Will smiled. "I like your affectionate side."

"Yeah, well, you're not going to get it often." Nico eyed the front door, waiting for Hazel to come out.

"I've accepted that." Will leaned over and kissed Nico's cheek, causing him to blush. "But it's not rare when I'm affectionate."

Nico bit his lip. "Will, you're not making this whole 'we hate each other' thing very easy."

Will grinned. "I know."

Nico rolled his eyes. "You're one of those romantics, aren't you?"

"Yeah, haven't you guessed?"

Nico sighed. "And you say you've never had a boyfriend before?"

Will shook his head. "Never."

Nico touched where Will had kissed his cheek. "Me neither. Hopefully, we're doing this right."

"We can't get any worse," Will replied.

Nico huffed in agreement. "We're not even friends yet."

"But we could be." Will got his phone out. "Here, let me play you some of my favorite music."

"And why would you do that?" Nico asked.

"So you can learn about me," Will explained. "We need to know this stuff about each other. Friends do. Music taste, favorite shows, food, drinks, etc."

Nico waved his hand. "Fine, play it. But you better turn it off before Hazel gets in this car."

Will quickly tapped the button and turned his volume up, playing a song that Nico so didn't expect from Mr. Sunshine. "Numb by Linkin Park? Seriously?"

Will blushed in embarrassment. "Is that bad?"

Nico couldn't help but chuckle. "I was expecting some upbeat pop from you, to be honest." He elbowed Will when he saw Hazel emerge from the front door, waving behind her to her father. "She's coming. Turn it off."

Will did as he was told, putting his phone back in his pocket as they descended into silence. Soon enough, Hazel jumped into the back seat and buckled. "Glad to see you're both alive."

"Ha ha." Nico pulled out of the driveway and started toward their school. "What was taking you so long in there?"

"I was talking to Will's mom," Hazel admitted. "She's really nice, sometimes."

Will looked back at her as if she was insane. "We're talking about the same woman, right?"

Hazel gently slapped his arm. "Yes, Will. You just need to give her a chance. We talked for a while last night, too. This morning she wished me luck on my presentation and gave me some tips."

"_I_ could have given you tips," Nico cut in.

"You've never done a presentation before in your life." Hazel insisted. "You'd rather take the zero."

Nico shrugged. "Can't fight logic."

Will smiled at the two of them as he sat back in his seat. "So, how far is the school?"

"Five minutes, maybe ten," Hazel answered. She didn't seem bothered by Nico's bad driving, but Will was gripping onto the sides of his seat. "Are you excited for your first day?"

"Nervous," Will admitted. "But also a little excited."

"You'll be fine," Hazel assured him. "Won't he be, Nico?"

Nico just shrugged. "He's never been to school before, Hazel. Who knows how he'll like it."

Hazel sighed. "You were supposed to just agree with me, Nico."

Nico shrugged again. "Just being honest over here."

Will eyed the school building as it came into sight, not loosening his grip of the seat. "Are we on time?"

Hazel nodded. "You'll have enough time to get your schedule and stuff, don't worry."

"Okay..." Will let out a deep breath as Nico parked. He spotted Percy Jackson standing next to his truck, talking to a girl with blonde hair and gray eyes. Before he could say anything, Hazel had jumped out of the car and ran toward a muscular Asian boy.

"Are you ready?" Nico asked, pocketing his keys.

Will looked over at him. "Should I really be nervous?"

"It's school, a lot of people hate it," Nico explained. "You're just going to become normal."

Will cracked a smile. "Okay."


	9. Chapter 9

Will sat in his first class, eyes on the board as his teacher droned on. Algebra, she said they were learning. It looked like nothing more than a foreign alphabet.

The girl next to him reached over and slipped a note on his desk, the 'you look lost' staring up at him from black ink. He looked over at her, gave her a small nod and a pleading look.

"My name's Lou Ellen," she whispered. "Do you need a tutor?

Will felt himself relax in gratitude. "Really?"

She nodded. "You look smart. You can help me with my other classes."

Will laughed nervously. "I'm not so sure about that... The only thing I really excelled in at home was science."

"Deal, then." she wrote her phone number down on another piece of paper and handed it to him. "Text me when you get the chance."

He took the paper as the teacher yelled at them to quiet down, stuffing it in his pocket. Make a friend, check. Fit in...not yet. But getting there.

When the bell rang, Will turned to Lou Ellen as they got up from their seats. "Thank you, for talking to me. Most everyone has minded their own business."

Lou Ellen shrugged. "I need a tutor, I'm good at math. It was a lucky guess that you'd be able to help me. So, you're new?"

Will nodded. "I was homeschooled my whole life. So all of this is...new."

"Sit with me at lunch," she decided. "I can introduce you to some people." Before he could agree or disagree, she had her books in hand and was gone from the room.

His plans for seeing Nico at lunch disappeared but were suddenly replaced with the excitement of making friends for himself. Percy and Leo were great, sure, but they only talked to him because Nico talked to him. Will wanted to make a friend himself, wanted to prove to himself that he could. And Lou Ellen was his first step.

When he got to lunch, he met Lou Ellen at a table in the corner of the room. A boy was already sitting next to her, with brown hair, green eyes, and a look that made Will keep a hand on his wallet.

"This is Cecil," Lou Ellen introduced. "Don't trust him with your money, and never let him borrow anything."

Cecil rolled his eyes. "Just because I can't get anything back to you doesn't mean you can't trust me."

"Right..." Will sat beside them at the circular table. "So, um, thanks for letting me sit here."

"It's no problem." Lou Ellen replied. "You're new and really need some friends. We can be friends."

"We're not very good at being friends," Cecil admitted. "But we can still be yours."

Will chuckled. "That's okay. Good or bad friends, I don't really have any. And you two seem like good people."

"Good people?" Cecil raised an eyebrow. "Wait until you get to know us."

Lou Ellen elbowed him. "Don't scare him away."

Will looked around the lunchroom as it filled up, able to see Nico a few tables away. His first boyfriend was sitting with Percy, Leo, and others that Will didn't recognize. Nico didn't look too happy, either.

"Who are you staring at?" Lou Ellen was suddenly right beside him as she moved her eyes to where his were. "Which one? All of the girls are taken, so don't even think about it. But some of the boys are free. Are you looking at one?"

Will blushed as he tore his eyes away from Nico. "I...I was just...looking at Nico. He's going to be my stepbrother."

Lou Ellen's smile dropped. "And you were looking at him like that? Damn, so sorry for your luck."

"You're going to be stepbrothers?" Cecil questioned. "What's the story about that? His dad's marrying again?"

"Cecil, shush." Lou Ellen elbowed Will. "So...his dad is marrying your mom? What's the story?"

Will sighed at the two of them but reluctantly gave in. He told them the story about everything that had happened so far, how complicated his life had gotten within a week. Lunch was almost over by the time he finished.

"That's inconvenient." Cecil summed up.

Will laughed as the bell rang. "Yeah, it is."

"Come over after school," Lou Ellen invited as they got up. "We can study and I'll help you completely win Nico over. And his friends. But...will your mom let you?"

Will shook his head. "I'll still come."

"There you go." she lightly punched his shoulder before walking off. "See you later, Will!"

Will waved weakly. "See you, too."

* * *

Nico couldn't stop himself from glancing at Will, who sat with Lou Ellen and Cecil. Why? He still wasn't sure but promised himself that he would find out before the end of the day. Some jealousy was already building up in his stomach.

"Why's he sitting with them?" Percy whispered, also having noticed the odd table arrangement. "When'd he meet them?"

Nico shrugged. "No idea."

Leo leaned forward to get in on the quiet conversation. "Are we talking about Nico's man over there?"

Nico pushed him away, causing the short boy to fall off his chair with a yelp. "Hey, that wasn't called for!"

Hazel giggled from beside Frank. "You should know better than to mess with him, Leo."

"Hazel's right," Piper smiled. "He only lets her, Percy, and Jason touch him."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Yeah? So?"

Leo climbed back onto his seat. "Whatever, whatever. So, party this weekend?"

"Where?" Nico asked. "My house isn't open."

"Percy, go ask Drew," Leo begged. "She likes you, she'll say yes."

"Woah, why me?" Percy asked. "I'm not the one that wants a party. You two are the only ones that actually go to those big parties. If you all want to come to my place, you can."

"Will you have alcohol?" Nico grumbled.

Percy shook his head. "Nope."

Nico sighed, his eyes returning to Will as they started to make plans. He wondered how easy it would be to have his usual drunk weekend now that he was dating that boy. Most definitely, he would have to sneak out.

When lunch was over he sulked on his way to his next class, having given up on schoolwork long ago. What was the point? He didn't need money, his father had enough to give. He didn't have a dream worth pursuing, didn't have anywhere to go. Getting to college would be nothing more than an annoyance.

"Will!" he ran up to his boyfriend as soon as he saw him, Will having been grabbing a few things from his locker. "I have a question."

Will looked over at him, not being able to stop himself from smiling at his presence. "What's up?"

"Why were you sitting with Lou Ellen and Cecil?" Nico asked.

"Oh, they're my new friends." Will's smile grew even larger. "Lou Ellen came to me during first, needed help with science. And she'll help me with math. Then I met Cecil at lunch. I told them about our situation, and they accept it."

Nico's eye twitched. "You told them?"

Will's smile dropped. "Is that bad?"

"Just...don't tell anyone else," Nico commanded. "Or at least about the lovers part. I don't need the whole school knowing that we're together."

"Yeah, okay..." Will closed his locker. "Are you mad at me?"

Nico sighed. "No...just watch what you say, okay? Or at least ask me first if you think someone deserves to know."

Will nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"What's your next class?" Nico asked. "If it's by mine, we can walk together."

Will fished for his schedule before pulling it out, his eyes sweeping over it. "Um...Brunner's, room 212."

Nico smirked. "That's mine. Come on, let's go. Brunner's pretty cool, but he cares about his students so he might get too personal."

"So is that...good or bad?" Will asked as they walked.

Nico shrugged. "However you take it, I guess. How was your day?"

"Okay, I think." Will struggled to keep his hand from grabbing Nico's. "Classes seem like they'll be challenging, but nothing I can't handle. And I told you about Lou Ellen and Cecil. And it was nice being away from home for so long. Er, well, your home, I guess."

"It's your home, now, too." Nico insisted. "You have nowhere else to call home. It's not like your mom is holding onto some apartment somewhere."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Will admitted. "It just seems like I'm...I don't know, like taking it over."

"You aren't. Promise." Nico stepped into the classroom and joined Percy in the back of the room. Looking around, Will noticed most of the kids Nico had sat with at lunch were also there.

"Will, how's school been?" Percy asked. "Guys, this is Will, Nico's new stepbrother."

"Way to tell everyone," Nico muttered.

"Hi, Will, I'm Piper McLean." a girl with brown, choppy hair stuck out her hand for him to shake. She sat near the front, where Will still stood as he looked around for an empty seat. The teacher was still nowhere to be found.

"Hi, Piper." he shook her hand before inching to the back of the room. "Um, Nico, where should I sit?"

"How should I know?" Nico yawned. "This is my sleeping class."

"Every class is your sleeping class," a blonde girl retorted. "Will, you can sit by me. I'm Annabeth Chase, Percy's girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you." Will sat next to her at the side of the classroom. He looked around, saw the others had already gone back to their previous conversation. Nico had already managed to fall asleep.

"How's your day been so far?" Annabeth asked. "A good first day?"

"Yeah, I would say so," Will shrugged. "I don't have any others to compare it to. I made two friends, though, and already got a tutor."

"What did you need to be tutored in?" Annabeth asked.

"Math." Will sighed. "It makes no sense."

"Well, if you need more help, let me know," Annabeth offered.

Will smiled as the teacher wheeled himself in. "Thanks, Annabeth."

She got a notebook out and flipped it open. "No problem."


	10. Chapter 10

Will went to Lou Ellen's house after school, not that surprised when Cecil ended up joining them. Some work was done, sure, but they ended up watching a few movies before Will finally went home.

When he got there, his mother was at the door waiting. There was no worry, no anxiety, just anger. "Where the _hell_ were you at?"

"I...I found a tutor, I was at her house." Will held his bookbag close and tried to slip passed her into the house, but she shifted her weight so that he couldn't.

"Her? You were at a girl's house?" she asked. Damn, did Will want to say he was gay. "Of course, that's what you were doing. Like father like son, of course!"

"I wasn't doing that," Will defended. "I was studying. My Algebra class is really hard-"

She smacked him, shut him up in one quick second. "Get to your room. I don't want to see you for the rest of the day."

Will didn't touch his cheek despite the stinging as he walked passed her, into the house he'd never be able to call home. Not anymore. Not when she was living there with him.

His room was cold, just like the rest of the house. His bags were stacked in the closet, and only a few things were unpacked. He closed the door, locked it, laid on his bed and stared at the old ceiling. What did Hades ever see in that woman?

Will turned on his side and stared out the window as the sun fell behind the horizon. Most nights, before he met Nico, he had prayed to get out of his life. Whether it be through a new life or through death, he would have accepted it. Now...now he just wanted to be alone with Nico, with Nico's family. But his mother stood in the way just as she always had done.

Would Hades believe him if he told him? Probably not. But Will made a note to himself to try and tell him, anyway. He didn't want his mother to ruin anyone else's life.

But the wedding was coming up.

* * *

That weekend, he found Hades alone in his office with the door cracked open. He was on the phone, talking about changing his will. He had a new wife to add to it.

Will wasn't sure what made him act on such an impulse, but he threw open the door and stepped into the room, thankful no one else was home to hear him. "Sir, I need to talk to you."

Hades looked up, his dark eyes nearly identical to his son's. But they had been through much more, that Will could tell. They had been through heartbreak.

With a quick farewell, Hades hung up the phone and gestured for Will to sit. "What can I do for you? Is everything okay?" The office had the same feel as the rest of the house: old, cold, too full of sadness.

Will sat in one of the chairs facing the desk, his heart starting to race as he thought about what exactly he was doing. "Um...I just...I wanted to talk to you about my mom if that's okay."

"What about her?"

Will cleared his throat. "Well, um...I don't know how to say it, really...but...she's not a good person."

Hades pinched the bridge of his nose. "Nico set you up to this, didn't he? Did he threaten you?"

"What?" Will shook his head quickly. "No, no. He didn't say anything. This is all coming from me."

Hades looked him over. "And you're telling me you don't like your mother?"

"You make me sound like the bad guy," Will muttered.

"I guess I just don't understand." Hades sat back in his chair. "What are you trying to say? And why tell me?"

Will looked down at his hands. "Um...honestly, I was going to warn you."

"Warn me?"

Will nodded. "My mom, she's not a good person. Morally. She's gonna try to cheat you out of your money."

"William..."

"Just hear me out," Will pleaded. "She's done it before."

"And why should I believe you?" Hades asked. "I happen to love your mother, William. We're getting married for a reason."

"She's going to leave you," Will warned. "She will. As soon as she gets her hands on your money-"

"Get out." Hades gestured to the door. "This conversation is over. I don't know what Nico put in your head, but that isn't going to happen. Now, please, get out of my office."

Will didn't like it but he did as he was told. Nico had been right about Hades and his ideas. That man didn't bend to anyone. And that would be the death of him.

* * *

Will was laying on his bed that night when Nico slipped into the room, those dark eyes unfocused from one thing and one thing only. Alcohol. Will could tell the second Nico was seen.

"What did you do?" Will hissed, jumping up to close the door behind him. Their parents were asleep down the hall, not too far away. "You got drunk? Again?"

Nico grabbed Will by his biceps and pulled him to the bed. "I missed you."

Will followed but didn't have a very good feeling. "Nico...what are you doing?"

Nico laid on the bed and pulled his shirt off, revealing some bruises that immediately caught Will's attention. "I don't feel good..."

"Nico...what did you do?" Will sat beside him before running a finger over one of them.

"Some guys got mad..." Nico grumbled. "I don't feel good."

"You're drunk and you're in pain, of course, you don't feel good." Will grabbed Nico's dominant hand, not surprised when he found that his knuckles were also bruising. "You punched back? Or did you punch first?"

"Don't remember." Nico ran a hand over Will's arm, causing him to jump. "I just know they were mad."

Will shook his head in disbelief. "You're lucky they didn't hurt you worse." He wrapped Nico's ribs, not trusting that the large bruises didn't hide broken ribs. Then he pulled the blanket up over his boyfriend. "Nico, you okay?"

"Just don't feel good..."


	11. Chapter 11

Will hadn't talked to Hazel much but knew she was a pretty sweet girl, especially for what she lived through. Her mother was dead, her father and half brother constantly fought, the rest of her family was dead. Will was honestly surprised that she took it all so well.

And there he was, outside her bedroom door, deciding whether or not to bother her at that time of night. Would she be asleep? He pressed his ear to the door and heard her faint voice.

"Hazel?" Will knocked on the door before opening it. "Can I come in?"

Hazel nodded to him before speaking again into her phone. She laid in her bed, in her pajamas with her blankets covering her. "I've got to go, Frank. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Will waited until she hung the phone up before talking. "I'm sorry to bother you so late, Hazel."

"It's okay." she sat up. "Is something wrong?"

Will closed the door behind him and kept his voice low. "It's about Nico."

Hazel frowned. "What did he do?"

"He came home drunk, came to me. He's passed out now but he's bruised up. I think he got in a fight and I'm worried about his ribs. I...I was going to take him to the hospital," Will fretted. "His ribs could be broken."

Hazel got up from her bed. "Get dressed. I'm coming."

Will ran to his room and got dressed before pulling Nico's shirt back onto his unconscious body. He didn't want him to freeze in the cold air.

Soon enough Hazel was in there, Nico's car keys in hand. "Come on, carry him out. I never should have trusted Leo to watch him."

Will carried Nico out and laid him in the backseat of the car, making sure he was all good before getting into the passenger's seat. As soon as he did, Hazel started to drive away.

"We'll have to go to the hospital in the next town over," Hazel said. "And we'll make up fake names. We can't have any of dad's associates knowing about this."

Will nodded. "I get it."

"I'm sorry he dragged you into this," Hazel continued. "I know you two don't like each other. But he must have trusted you if he came to you."

Will tried to smile but felt as if he just had a face spasm.

"What?" Hazel glanced at him. "Are you okay?"

"I..." He knew she deserved to know. He knew that for a fact. But what Nico said rattled through his head. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell Nico."

Hazel nodded. "I promise."

"We are...dating," Will finally admitted. "We have been. And I...realized tonight...that I _deeply_ care for him."

Hazel swerved, nearly hitting a car or two before coming to a stop on the side of the road. She put the car in park before turning to face Will. "You two are together?!"

Will was gripping to the seats still from the sudden driving spell. "Um...yeah?"

Hazel squealed. "That's so cute!"

Will let himself relax. "You're okay with it?"

"Of course." she hugged him tightly. "He's never had a boyfriend before."

Will hugged back. "Me neither..."

"Why doesn't he want me to know?" Hazel asked, breaking the hug. "Why were you acting like you hate each other?"

"He was scared that mom and your father would find out," Will explained. "Since we're technically going to be stepbrothers..."

Hazel's face fell. "Oh...I forgot..." She shrugged. "Oh, well." With one look around them, she pulled back onto the road and started to drive again.

Wil watched her as the street lamps lit the interior of the car, flashing in and out. "So, you're okay with it?"

"Of course. Nico needs you in his life." she sighed. "He's really messed up, Will. He's been through a lot."

"His mom dying?" Will guessed.

Hazel shook her head. "If it was just that, he'd be better. But it's not. He... Will, it's not my story to tell."

"I understand." Will looked out of his window as the car fell into silence, a silence only broken when they arrived at the hospital.

* * *

"Here you go." Will came into the waiting room with two cups of coffee and handed one to Hazel before sitting beside her.

"Thanks, Will." she sipped it as she sat back. "Did he say who he got in the fight with?"

Will shook his head. "Nope."

Hazel sighed. "I'll figure it out when he wakes up." She got her phone and checked the time. "I'm surprised dad hasn't noticed we're all gone."

Will blushed. "Who knows what he's doing with mom."

Hazel's face went red. "William!"

Will laughed as she covered her face. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh, yes you did." Hazel accused, giggling to herself.

Will apologized again as his laughs died down. "You're really cool to hang out with, Hazel."

"You, too." Hazel elbowed him lightly. "Welcome to the family, Will."

Will grinned. "Thanks, Hazel."

* * *

Nico woke up to the splitting headache of a hangover and the brilliant white ceiling of a hospital. Why? He couldn't figure it out.

"Nico, you're awake." he turned to see Hazel sitting beside his bed, dark circles under her eyes. "I was worried."

He looked around, saw the room was empty besides them. "What happened?"

"You got drunk and got in a fight," Hazel explained. "Do you remember?"

Nico laid his head back and closed his eyes. "No."

"You might later on." Hazel sat forward. "Nico?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you had a boyfriend?" Hazel asked.

Nico squinted at her. "Excuse me?"

Hazel smiled at him. "You didn't tell me that you and Will are together."

He sighed. "How'd you find out?"

She grinned. "You should have seen how worried that boy was about you."

Nico looked around. "Is he here?"

"He went to get more coffee," Hazel said. "We've been up for hours."

"Why am I here?" Nico asked. "How am I hurt?"

"You bruised a couple of your ribs. But you're fine, now. I signed the papers and we can take you home."

Nico noticed that he was in his normal clothes and that his hospital gown had been discarded, meaning someone had changed him. Immediately, he sat up with a groan at his headache.

"Woah, there, lay back." Hazel gently laid him back in the bed. "I changed you. I didn't let Will see."

"You promise?" Nico asked.

She nodded. "I promise. So calm down. When you're ready, we can go."

Nico rubbed his forehead. "I'll get up when Will comes back. Let me sleep until then."

Just as he closed his eyes, Will came into the room with two coffees in hand. When he saw that Nico was awake, he dropped both in surprise. "Nico!"

Nico groaned in pain as Hazel put a finger to her lips. "Hangover, Will."

"Right, sorry." Will charged over to Nico and looked him over, now keeping his voice low. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine..." Nico grabbed Will's arm and pulled himself up. "I want my bed. Damn, I hurt."

"Bruised ribs." Will picked him up bridal style. "That's what happens when you get into a fight, Nico."

Hazel got up and gathered their things. "Will, I'm going to get someone to clean the coffee up. I'll meet you outside."

"I don't need carried." Nico kept a hand on his ribs. "I can walk, Will."

"You could, but I could carry you instead," Will said. "You've got a hangover and bruised ribs. Just let me carry you."

Nico grumbled but leaned against Will. "Does anyone else know this happened?"

"Nope." Will started to carry him out. "Just you, me, and Hazel."

"Good..." Nico covered his eyes with his hand. "Too bright, Will."

"We'll be home soon, Neeks."

"Will you lay with me when we get there?"

"Only if you want me to."

"I want."

"Then I will."


	12. Chapter 12

Nico laid on his bed and stared out of the dark window, aching for alcohol after such a long day. Legal stuff was not fun. Watching his father sign that woman into their family was even worse.

He'd never think of her as a stepmother.

Nico dozed off a few times until a knock at the door shook him out of it. Grabbing his phone, he saw that it was nearly four in the morning. And he was still in his day clothes. Above the covers. His shoes on.

Groaning, he sat up and cracked his back. The knock came again, more urgent. Nico rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "What?"

The very _least_ person he expected was standing there, dark eyes mirroring his own. Hades was wearing a coat over his pajamas, a sight Nico had never quite seen. But those eyes, the brokenness, he had seen that look.

Nico scrambled to his feet. "She left?"

Hades was keeping tears in, Nico could tell. "I woke up to her gone. I went looking. Her car's gone, and all her clothes."

"And how much money?" Nico asked.

Hades didn't answer. "I didn't want to wake Hazel, and I don't want to tell her... Damn it...you kids were right. You're always right."

Nico stared at his father as he broke down in the doorway. It had been a while since he had seen those tears.

"Here." Nico grabbed a box of tissues and handed it to him. "Go lay down. "I'll bring you some beer up or something. Just give me your key to the cupboard."

Hades let him lead him to his room, where he gave Nico the key before collapsing onto his bed. No doubt it would be colder than usual without the woman to help warm it.

Before Nico went downstairs, he stopped by Will's room and edged the door open. His boyfriend was still sound asleep, spread out over his large bed. Sinking in relief, Nico closed the door and went downstairs.

Was it good or bad, what happened? Bad, Hades was heartbroken again. Good, Will didn't have his mother looming over him. Bad, she had practically abandoned him. He wasn't even legally under Hades's protection.

But he was still there, and that was enough to keep Nico calm as he brought the alcohol to his father.

Having done it before, Nico fell into the same routine as last time. He went to his father's office, locked his bank account, tried to secure whatever money they had left. But he wasn't fast enough. As he looked through it, he saw that she had taken _everything._

"Fuck!"

He stood up, went downstairs and got a glass of wine. It was gone after one gulp, but he didn't get himself another. It seemed that when things relied on him, he had enough sense to mostly cut the alcohol out. And now was definitely the time.

* * *

In the morning, he was downstairs cooking breakfast when Hazel and Will walked into the kitchen. Both immediately stopped at the sight of him.

"Oh, god..." Hazel covered her mouth. "Nico, what happened?"

Nico sighed. "Just because I'm cooking, you assume something happened?"

"Even I can see that," Will said.

Nico sighed. "Just sit down and be quiet. I'm cooking. I don't need you two nagging me. And dad needs time to himself. He left earlier for his brother's."

Hazel froze. "She left him...didn't she?"

Nico nodded. "Just like we said she would."

Will stood there, pale and frozen. His voice cracked. "E-Excuse me?"

Nico turned the stove off before going over to Will, pulling him into a hug. "I'm just glad you're still here."

"What...what happened?"

"She left." Nico rubbed his back. How many times had Will taken care of him? He wanted to give back while he had the chance. "Took the money like we thought she would."

"And she left me..."

Nico nodded. "I'm sorry."

Will took a deep breath. "She was a horrible mother. Wasn't even a mother. But...but she was literally my only relative. I just...feel alone, now. Where am I going to go? Your dad's going to kick me out."

"We're not going to let him." Hazel's face was rarely as serious as it was then. "And you're not alone. You're staying with us, Will, whether you like it or not."

Nico hummed in agreement. "You're not getting away from me so easily."

Will laid his head on Nico's shoulder. "You mean it?"

"Of course."

Hazel nodded. "You're part of this place, now. And now you can be Nico's boyfriend without worrying about the legal stuff."

Will's lips twitched into a smile. "That's true..."

Nico grinned. "We can be together, Will. Publicly and everything. And you don't have to live in fear of her anymore. You're free."

Will pulled him closer. The hug was officially one of their longest. "I love you, Nico."

He didn't realize what he had said, not when it felt so _normal_ to say it. It didn't matter that they hadn't known each other for long. It didn't matter that they hadn't even had their first fight. He loved Nico. He had known that since the hospital.

Nico was struck dumb by the words, however, his eyes wide and his mouth open slightly. Will Solace had just said he loved him. Will _fucking_ Solace. Nico's heart was about to beat out of his chest.

"I love you, too."

Hazel grinned at the two of them before glancing at the ruined food Nico had stopped cooking before it was done. "Why don't we go out to breakfast?"

"No money." Nico still hadn't let go of Will.

"We could go to Percy's," she offered. "And I can tell Sally...what happened."

Nico looked into Will's eyes. "Do you want to?"

"Only if you do."

"Then we will." Nico nodded to Hazel. "Let's go."

She giggled. "You have to break the hug so we can walk to the car, first."

Nico pouted, as did Will. "I don't want to."

"Me neither." Will kissed Nico's cheek. "But we must."

Nico slowly detached himself from Will. "Fine, but we're holding hands."

"That's fine with me."


	13. Chapter 13

Nico laid on Percy's bed, scrolling through youtube on his friend's laptop. Will sat next to him, chewing his lip as he stared at his boyfriend. "How long until Percy gets home?"

"Soon." Nico gestured beside him. "Lay by me. He takes morning runs."

Will laid beside him. Sally had welcomed them with open arms, inviting them to wait while she and Hazel cooked breakfast. No doubt Hazel was telling her about everything that had happened.

"How'd you meet Percy?" Will asked. "I mean, you're really good friends. Better than any friends I've met."

"Oh..." Nico sighed. "I guess we are close. We met at a park when we were young. Been best friends ever since. I've stayed with him a lot and he's helped me through a lot."

Will laid in silence for a minute before talking. "Helped you through what?"

Nico frowned. "Um..." He glanced away. "Momma and Bianca dying, Persephone leaving, some...trauma."

Will remembered what Percy had once warned him about the first day he met him. No rape jokes. "Trauma..." He started to get angry just thinking about it. "Who did it?! I'll murder them!" He stood up.

Nico jumped in surprise, the laptop falling to the floor. "Will! What are you talking about?"

Will looked down at him. "Who hurt you? They did, didn't they? At some point in time. They raped you. And I'm going to bury him." The anger was keeping his adrenaline up. It was rare he had felt a negative feeling so strong.

Nico reached over and grabbed Will's hand. He stayed silent, keeping his grip tight. It was enough to get Will's eyes to finally settle into Nico's gaze.

"Nico..."

"I don't like to talk about it." Nico whispered. "And I don't like people getting worked up about it."

Will took a deep breath, shoved all his anger down for the time being. "I'm sorry."

Nico pulled him down onto the bed. "I don't like talking about it."

"I know."

"But I'll tell you what happened," Nico continued. "You deserve to know." He swallowed thickly. "It was after mom and Bianca died. I was at the park, and...a guy was there. He gave me some alcohol...I think it was beer...and then he...he..."

Will pulled him close. "I understand. Did...did they catch him?"

Nico shook his head as a tear dripped down his pale face, sliding over his prominent cheekbone. Emotions. He hated them.

Will wiped the tear away before planting a kiss on his boyfriend's forehead. "It's okay. I'm here, and he isn't. No one's going to hurt you ever again."

Nico closed his eyes and took in Will's scent, his presence, his emotions. Love. He took in the love.

And smiled.

"It doesn't hurt anymore. The memories."

Will laid his head on Nico's dark curls. "Good...I'm glad...

"What about you?" Nico asked. "I mean, you're mom-"

He was cut off by Percy entering the room, his dark hair sticking to his forehead. He was wearing black shorts and a blue shirt, the later having the swim team's brand right in the center. He looked between them, glanced back in the hallway, looked to them again.

"Did you have sex on my bed?"

Will turned bright red as Nico rolled his eyes. "No, Percy. Your mom's here. And Hazel. That's just risky."

Percy shrugged before digging through his closet. "I have to take a shower. I'm a mess. What are you all doing here?"

Silence. Nico took the time to detangle himself from Will before walking over to Percy. "I'll walk you to the bathroom and tell you."

If it was anyone else, Will would have stopped them right there. But he knew their relationship. He trusted both Percy and Nico. So he let them go to talk about the woman he could never forgive.

When they had left the room he laid back on the bed, stared up at the ceiling as he was left alone with his thoughts for the first time since his mother had left. Had she really cared about him so little? Was she so alright with just leaving him alone?

He was alone, no relative in sight. If he didn't have Nico and Hazel, he would have broken.

But he didn't. He let himself cry, he dried his eyes, he got up and swallowed down the fear. He needed to see this as freedom. His mother had never been a mother, he knew that to be true. But what truly was a mother, then? He hadn't ever known. But he was free of the clutches of what he used to think was one.

Will picked up the laptop Nico had dropped and sat it back on the bed. Percy's. Everything in there was Percy's. But it was comforting, probably the same way it was comforting to Nico. It was another place he knew he could run to if all was lost.

Was that how you were supposed to feel of family? He could only hope.

"Will?" Hazel poked her head into the room. "I already got Nico. The food is done... Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Yeah..." He walked over to her and let her lead him to the kitchen.

The kitchen was small, complete with a table and chairs. But it was cozy. Sally Jackson was cleaning a pan at the sink, while four plates sat at the table. Nico was eating from one, stabbing at his eggs as if they were the ones to leave his father.

"Ms. Sally, this is Will," Hazel introduced. "Will, this is Percy's mom."

Sally set the pan down and enveloped Will in a tight hug. "Oh, sweetheart... How are you holding up?"

This. The feelings he got from her. The comfort. Was this what a mother should be? "I'll be okay... Thank you for letting me over, Ms. Jackson."

"Mrs. Blofis," Nico corrected. "She remarried."

Sally shepherded Will to the table and sat him down in front of a plate of food. "Feel free to come over whenever you need to, Will. It'll be nice to get to know the boy Nico picked."

Nico's cheeks turned a light pink as he mumbled into his eggs. "More like he picked me, Ms. Sally."

She gave him a look before going back to the sink, running the water as she began to wash the dishes again. Will watched her for a minute, transfixed by the common comfort of her energy, before beginning to eat the breakfast she had made them. She was a much better cook than anyone else.

"So, what are we going to do?" Hazel asked as she sat beside Nico, her voice low as she talked to her brother and her brother only. Will could tell that they liked to keep some things between the two of them.

"I'll handle it," Nico promised. His voice had a hint of something Will had heard in Hades' voice. "Just keep on track in school for me."

Hazel frowned. "But...if she took the money, and dad's at his brothers..."

"The house is paid off, it's not like it's not." Nico stared at his fork. "I'll start working."

"That won't cover everything," Hazel stressed. "There's taxes, and bills, and food and-"

"I'll work more than one job. I'm not letting momma's house go to ruin." he stood up with a determined frown. "I'll go job hunting now."

Sally turned the water off and beckoned Nico over. "First, we're going to talk. I'm not going to take no for an answer."

"Ms. Sally..."

She gestured to the hallway. "Let's go talk in Percy's room. I mean it, Nico."

Nico huffed but followed after her, leaving Hazel and Will alone in the kitchen. Percy was yet to get out of the shower. He always did have a thing for water.


	14. Chapter 14

Percy stepped into the kitchen to find Will and Hazel eating a light breakfast. His mother nor Nico were anywhere to be seen, but Nico's cup of coffee still steamed from the table.

"Where did they go?" Percy asked as he took an empty seat and pulled an untouched plate closer to himself. "To talk?"

Hazel nodded. "Nico was saying he wanted to pay for everything himself. I don't think your mom liked that."

"She knows he wouldn't be able to." Percy dug into his food, talking with his mouth full. "He says one thing but does another."

Will set his fork on the table, barely having eaten any of his food. "But why would he need to? If Hades went to his brother's, won't he be back? And can't he still make money?"

Hazel slid Nico's cup of coffee over to herself. "It isn't going to be that easy, Will. Dad...dad doesn't take things well. And he doesn't work anymore. Our fortune was already dwindling. Your mom took what was left, but it wasn't nearly as much as it used to be."

"Hazel and Nico wouldn't have been able to live on it for much longer," Percy continued. "Mom and I have already talked about this. If worse came to worse, their dad probably would have started working again. But now that another woman left him, he won't have the mental capability."

"He takes the losses really hard." Hazel sipped the coffee. "When my mom died, he left for a year or two. Nico and I were on our own. We had money to live off of, then, but now..."

"Now you don't have anything." Will finished. "And I'm an extra person in the house."

Hazel nodded. "Yeah."

Percy scraped the remaining food from his plate before grabbing Nico's, starting to inhale his food as well. "It'll be okay."

Will's lips twitched as he tried to hide a smile. "Hungry there?"

Hazel giggled. "He eats a lot, Will. A _lot_."

Percy didn't argue but also smiled. "You'll all be okay. Even if you have to move in here."

"Percy, we couldn't do that," Hazel declined. "Your mother is nice enough to offer it, but we're too many people. And you don't have the money, Percy."

"We aren't going to let you end up on the streets." Percy swallowed the last bite of food. "You know that."

Hazel nodded in acceptance. "That, I do."

Nico and Sally entered the room then, Nico's dark eyes on the ground as he walked. Sally stirred him to the others, her smile still as bright as ever.

"Nico and I figured out a plan." she saw Hazel's empty cup of coffee and refilled it. "We both decided it's the best option."

Nico sat in his discarded seat with a low sigh. "I want to save momma's house. That's the big thing. But another big thing is obviously that we're all cared for."

"So, what's the plan?" Hazel asked.

"I'm going to get a job or two," Nico explained. "Pay the taxes on the house and whatever it needs. But we're going to stay here with Percy and Sally so we don't have to worry about gas, food, electricity, etc. That'll be a lot less bills to pay."

Percy looked to his mother in a silent question. She simply nodded before giving Nico his own cup of coffee.

"I can get a job, help out with food and stuff," Will offered. "I mean, three extra people is a lot of money..."

"I'll handle it, don't worry about that." Sally assured him. "Now, we need to figure out sleeping arrangements and how long Mr. di Angelo will be gone. Then you three need to get what you need from the house."

"You're sure?" Hazel asked again. "You're really sure?"

"I asked her fifty times," Nico's eyes were darker than usual despite the compromise. "She's sure."

Sally ruffled each of their hair before starting to gather the plates. "Percy can help you get your stuff. And you can go buy air mattresses or something."

Percy stood up. "We can get one for Will and Nico, put it on my floor. Hazel can have the guest bedroom."

Nico rubbed his eyes. "We'll split up. I go look for jobs, Hazel goes to get the air mattress, Percy and Will go to get our stuff from the house. Will, just get my clothes, phone charger, and laptop. That's all I need."

"You sure?" Will asked, grabbing Nico's pale hand. It was still so cold.

Nico squeezed his hand. "Yeah, I'm sure."


	15. Chapter 15

The first night at the Jackson residance was the hardest. Will laid there, unable to sleep, Nico's cold body beside him. Why was Nico always so cold? Will had already laid both blankets over him.

Percy was asleep, loud snoring filling the room. His tan hand hung off the bed, brushing against the carpet each time he breathed out. Will could only hope he was as okay with them staying there as he let on.

"Nico, are you awake?" Will whispered into the darkness. There was no answer, just the breathing of the room's occupants.

He checked again to make sure Nico was breathing, and after doing so, tucked the boy in better. If he knew where anything was, he would have gotten his boyfriend a heating pad or forced him to take a hot shower. He hated how that body's temperature resembled a corpse.

Will crawled off of the air mattress before walking from the room, careful to keep his movements quiet as he moved to the front door. He needed a breather, needed the cold air he had once yelled at Nico for letting in. Since that night they had first spoke, his life had gone to hell and back.

But he didn't blame Nico, he didn't blame anyone. Life was unfair, he had learned that long ago. Nobody could change what happened to them, nobody could change the luck they had. But they could chose to make the right choice each time they were faced with a new decision, and that was what he would do.

Will sat on the front steps and took the night air in, just thanked God that he still had Nico. He hadn't meant to find love in the place he did, but he was thankful that he had.

* * *

The weeks went by in a haze. School, Nico's work, Percy's swimming, Sally's pregnancy, the alcohol Will found Nico downing after work. Everything melted together in a whirlwind of life.

And even through the pain, he found himself enjoying it. Sally was a mother to them all. Hazel was an amazing sister, with dreams for the future and a love for her boyfriend. And Nico...Nico had taken up all of Will's heart and then some. Will could never stop loving that boy.

Paul Blofis was pretty cool as well. He was an English teacher at their school, and at home he helped tutor any of them that needed it. When Sally had told him about the situation, he had welcomed them all just as easily as she had.

And through the weeks and then months, them became a dysfunctional, odd, happy family.

And just as their family grew closer, so did Nico and Will.

The first time they made love, Percy had left to take Annabeth on a date. The others were gone as well, with Sally and Paul at an ultrasound appointment and Hazel out with Frank. It was slow, soft, full of a special love that moved through Will's body with each breath he took.

Nico, his Nico...he was so perfect. Will truly loved him, more than anything, and he knew Nico felt the same way back. Even though they met in a harsh position, even though they had gone through hell, even though they were still going through it... They loved each other, and they always would.

Love. Maybe that was what healed, not time. For it certainly healed them.


End file.
